Apparatus for feeding and extracting a work-piece from a column of workpieces of varying lengths



Sept. 1966 KOESLING ETAL 3,272,957

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND EXTRACTING A WORK-PIECE FROM A COLUMN OFWORK-PIECES OF VARYING LENGTHS Filed D60. 14, 1964 AGENT United StatesPatent Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 417,948 Claims priority,application Germany, Dec. 13, 1963,

2 Claims. (cf. 21910.69)

In existing induction-heating ovens, in either a horizontal or verticalplane, a plurality of work-pieces are located in tandem within the turnsof the induction coil and to add another work-piece the front work-piecemust be removed by displacing the whole series of work-pieces within thecoils (oven). If all the work-pieces have the same length, no diflicultyis experienced in displacing the series for feeding and withdrawing.Often pieces of metal which have been cut roughly, such as ingots, areheated in such an oven to be subsequently supplied to a forging press.In this case, the series of work-pieces in the oven must be moved adifferent distance substantially each time one is withdrawn and anotherwork-piece is fed to the series.

The present invention relates to an induction oven having a series ofwork-pieces in tandem within the working space of the induction coil,which oven is preferably designed for the vertical passage ofwork-pieces, and the object of the invention is to overcome the problemsencountered in feeding and discharging work-pieces of varying lengths.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, oneembodiment thereof will now be described in detail, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

An inductance coil it placed in vertical position has guide rods 2arranged in the working space and along which a series of stacked workpieces 3 can be moved. A sliding piece 4 serves for imparting theforward movement of the stack. If the working space of the coil 1 isfilled completely, the slide 4 moves upward until the front surface of awork-piece 6 to be removed brings a carrier 7 into engagement with acontact 7', whereupon the forward displacement of the slide 4 ceases.

When slide 4 stops the clamping plates 9 hold the work-piece followingthe front work-piece 6. These two work pieces are separated from eachother in the plane of interface 8 by means of an ejector 10.Subsequently the clamping plates 9 move away from each other and thestack of work-pieces are moved back into the working space of the coil 1when the slide 4 recedes. To ensure that a predetermined distance iscovered upon the rearward displacement of slide 4, and that thisdistance is fixed, a member 11 is frictionally coupled to the slidingpiece 4. The upward movement of the slide 4 carries the said member 11along with it until it abuts a fixed stop 12. Upon the return movementof the slide 4, the member 11 moves with it until it actuates a contact13. During this return displacement, the work-pieces are moved back intothe working space of the coil.

Since the displacement in the forward direction is controlled by movableabutment 7 and the displacement in the backward direction is controlledby the member 11 and the contact 13, is made adjustable as indicated bythe adjacent arrow, the forward and rearward displacement of the stackedwork-pieces is substantially independent of variations which mayinfluence the total length of stacked work-pieces. The object of themovability of contact 13 is to permit variation in the displacement ofthe stacked workpieces in the backward direction to permit the use ofthe oven for work-pieces of many different lengths.

When the member 11 actuates the contact 13, clamping plates 14 approacheach other and grip the lowest work-piece between them, whereupon theslide 4 moves down further, so as to leave a space within whichadditional work-pieces are supplied.

The foregoing description of the vertically-positioned oven according tothe invention likewise applies to a horizontal arrangement, except thatthe work-pieces are then displaced in horizontally forward and backwarddirections.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a vertically positioned oven having an exit atone end and :an entrance at the other end and apparatus for feeding andextracting one workpiece at a time from a column of work-pieces ofvarying length within said oven comprising, a slide member for raisingand lowering said column in a vertical direction, means for moving saidslide member, column elevation determining means positioned relative tothe exit end of said oven for engaging a work-piece externally of saidexit end and terminating movement of said slide member, meansoperatively connecting said elevation determining means and said meansfor moving said slide member, a follower member frictionally coupledwith said slide member, stop means for engaging said follower member inthe raising direction of movement of said slide member whereby saidslide moving relative to said follower when said follower is engagedwith said stop means, clamping means positioned relative to the entranceend of said oven for engaging a work-piece externally of said other endupon lowering movement of said slide member and adjustable means in thepath of lowering movement of said follower member, said adjustable meansbeing operatively associated with said clamping means for haltingmovement of said column during lowering movement of said slide member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprisesa pair of opposed plates and means for moving each said plate toward andapart from one another.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 8/1961 France.

OTHER REFERENCES German application, No. 1,152,206, Schefiler, printedAug. 1, 1963. (K1. 21H 29/03).

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY POSITIONED OVEN HAVING AN EXIT ATONE END AND AN ENTRANCE AT THE OTHER END AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ANDEXTRACTING ONE WORKPIECE AT A TIME FROM A COLUMN OF WORK-PIECES OFVARYING LENGTH WITHIN SAID OVEN COMPRISING, A SLIDE MEMBER FOR RAISINGAND LOWERING SAID COLUMN IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAIDSLIDE MEMBER, COLUMN ELEVATION DETERMINING MEANS POSITIONED RELATIVE TOTHE EXIT END OF SAID OVEN FOR ENGAGING A WORK-PIECE EXTERNALLY OF SAIDEXIT END AND TERMINATING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER, MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ELEVATION DETERMINING MEANS AND SAID MEANSFOR MOVING SAID SLIDE MEMBER, A FOLLOWER MEMBER FRICTIONALLY COUPLEDWITH SAID SLIDE MEMBER, STOP MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID FOLLOWER MEMBER INTHE RAISING DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER WHEREBY SAIDSLIDE MOVING RELATIVE TO SAID FOLLOWER WHEN SAID FOLLOWER IS ENGAGEDWITH SAID STOP MEANS, CLAMPING MEANS POSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE ENTRANCEEND OF SAID OVEN FOR ENGAGING A WORK-PIECE EXTERNALLY OF SAID OTHER ENDUPON LOWERING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER AND ADJUSTABLE MEANS IN THEPATH OF LOWERING MOVEMENT OF SAID FOLLOWER MEMBER, SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANSBEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CLAMPING MEANS FOR HALTINGMOVEMENT OF SAID COLUMN DURING LOWERING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER.